Fumes

M

Max Chickens

Guest
Hey guys,
Just wondering if anyone can give me the low down on exactly what kinds of paints are ok to use with limited ventilation, and without a respirator?....am i right in saying the water based is the only type that safe?

I am keen try wicked and house of kolor...but yeah...ventilation is an issue.

Cheers
 
Water based is safer but you should use a mask for all spray painting for your own health .
 
Hi Max,
sorry but there's no such thing as a truely safe paint to use without at least a dust mask, water based paints are a lot safer than solvent based paints but you don't want that stuff in your lungs.
Wicked is water based and HOK is a urethane based paint but I have read that HOK are a lot safer these days but you still need a proper respirator for them.

I'm guilty of not using my mask at times with water based paints but you must have at least a good air flow through your work area that takes away any overspray/dust. I have a simple bathroom exhaust fan built into a bit of ply that fits into my window right where I work which does ok if there's no natural breeze around. You've got to have fresh air ;)
When doing larger jobs I use a proper 3M cartridge respirator, this is the best thing in my toolbox! I even wear it sweeping the shed floors (it gets pretty dusty in there after making a surfboard :) ), it seals perfectly and breathing is easy. They do get a little hot on warm days but no worse really than a throw away mask.

Another thing to worry about if ventilation is an issue, particularly with solvent based paints is you are creating your own little bomb! A spark in a room like that could be devestating.
Hope you find a solution.

Cheers,
Mick.
 
Completely agree with what ozAirbrush is saying. Anything you breathe into your lungs besides fresh air is bad for your health!

saying that, you may want to look around for a small extraction system.. any major hardware store should sell a bathroom exhaust kit. If you can set one of those up into a filter box then you'd be right to go with water based paints. still should wear a mask.
Don't use solvent based in any enclosed space though without proper filtration.

In your situation now look for anything water based. Wicked colors i've heard are fantastic
 
You can try Comart or autoair I use them and they work great together
 
Completely agree with what ozAirbrush is saying. Anything you breathe into your lungs besides fresh air is bad for your health!

saying that, you may want to look around for a small extraction system.. any major hardware store should sell a bathroom exhaust kit. If you can set one of those up into a filter box then you'd be right to go with water based paints. still should wear a mask.
Don't use solvent based in any enclosed space though without proper filtration.

In your situation now look for anything water based. Wicked colors i've heard are fantastic


Hey I'm brand spanking new to the wonderful world of paints so please forgive my ignorance. I've been trying to decide what kind of paints to buy and whether or not I should buy a proper respirator (ie: one with replaceable filters). So far I've been using Liquitex Soft Body paints thinned with Airbrush Medium and a JFY 4151 N95 NIOSH Particulate Respirator (can't post a link) but I want to try a different paint.

I'm curious about Createx colors... whats the real difference between their 3 brands: Airbrush Colors, Auto-Air, and Wicked? Createx themselves recommend never using their paints without a NIOSH/MSHA approved respirator, not just a particle mask. Also Airbrush Colors and Auto-Air say they are water-based on the Createx website but it doesn't say anything about water on the Wicked page... it does say "Wicked contains mild amounts of solvent inter-mixed with a durable, exterior-grade resign and automotive pigments". Does that not mean there will be fumes a particulate respirator cannot prevent against?

I'm placing an order for some nice paints and am pretty certain I'm going Createx... just having a really hard time trying to decide which Createx to use. As for the respirator I may just buy a nice one with replaceable filters just to be safe... small price to pay consider what I've spent already on all the other gear :)
 
Hey Johnny B,
a good respirator with replacable filters is a good investment and you can use different cartriges to suit your paint if you wanted to do your own clears in 2k say. The throw away ones tend to get left out to get dirty (because they're cheap) and they don't seal nearly as good as a proper respirator.

As far as paint goes, have a look at E'Tac if you can, in my (biased :) ) opinion it's a better airbrush paint than Auto-Air which is more suited as a car base coat type of paint, Wicked is supposed to be better for the airbrush though from all accounts and I think Createx is your all round and fabric type paint.
I have used Auto-Air and it took a lot (for me) to get it tuned good enough to spray through an airbrush reliably whereas I can spray E'tac straight from the bottle ;)

hth,
Mick.
 
The most important tool in your whole tool box is a good respirator! You won't get an early warning that something bad is happening to your lungs, you'll just wake up one morning with COPD and find yourself pulling around an oxygen tank the rest of your life. Don't let your hobby or your profession kill you.
 
water based paints are a lot safer <-- sound for me like" let's bring extremly violent people in our town.. that seems good..
i've never seen anyone kill so many things ruthlessly without any regard! come in,
come in here stay in the inn, with the children and the wimen!" hahahahah
self when you work whit whater based colors use a respirator.. because the dust from the colors go in to your lungs and that stay in your lungs your live long... i saw that when i work on a side plate from a pc to make that black.. one day later my nose running and i look (yeah is nasty) but it was black.. after that i ask a lung doctor form the vw company he works whit the people from the lacquer technicans.. and he told me if you wont kill yourself do that whitout, will you life do that whit a mask.. self when you use whater based colors.. try that and you will see how mutch dust is later on your mask.. firebrush is absolutly rigth
 
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Well this goes for all waterbased paints, they are chemical products!

Most people think they are save but its not, same goes for house paints (even more so).
If this stuff hits your skin it will get into your bloodstream faster than solvent based paints, so in a sence water based paints are deadlier than solvent based paints. Diff is, solvents have a much faster effect on your body so it was more noticable if people got sick from fumes and stuff. But dont feel safe because its waterbased.

Most use a mask only, and use their hand as a stencil, spray it on bare skin... owww so wrong there...

Use a mask, and dont let it get onto your skin either. Nothing good comes from chemical products like these, except your art off course hehe.
 
I agree with all the other comments as regards water based paints but there is still a small % of solvent in some of them .If you are purely using solvents and a 2k clear coat you should really use an air fed mask because these products contain isociante .This is nasty stuff and if you get affected and become sensitised that will be the end of your painting .If you do a lot and are concerned for your health you can have a urine test to see if you have too much in your system .There are non iso clear coats on the market but even those you do not want down your lungs .Gerson sell a mask that supposedly is ok for iso containing products but the filters must be changed after 30 hours use .Ventilation is a must and you should not work without it .You should also bear in mind that the nasty items contained in these products can enter the body through the skin and the membranes of the eyes,so goggles and gloves are good .Cleaning products/thinners can also contain nasties as well .Don`t be put off just take a little care and thought .
 

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